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So let’s be stronger together, my fellow Americans. Looking to the future with courage and confidence. Let’s build a better tomorrow for our beloved children and our beloved country. And when we do, America will be greater than ever. – Hillary Clinton 07/28/16

Welcome to the big show to end the week and the last “Caught My Eye” (CME) of July!

Buckle up!

If you are a first-time visitor, CME is posted right here every Friday morning. This is when I take a look at some of the stories I did not have time to write about during the week. I often throw in a touch of sarcasm to make you smile – or to irritate you just a little – maybe both.

Topics this week include my analysis of Hillary Clinton’s speech, the Great Falls Tribune and Cathy Kuntz, Juneau/Zinke & public lands, VCRs, and much more so read on…

Hillary Clinton’s Speech:

It’s tough to follow speeches this week from Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Michelle Obama, and others, but Hillary Clinton held her own Thursday night with a pretty good speech in which she accepted the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.

It was not as good a speech as the others mentioned above, but it was to the point and it was a better speech than what Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump delivered.

She did go after Trump in her speech, saying:

He also talks a big game about putting America First. Please explain to me what part of America First leads him to make Trump ties in China, not Colorado. Trump suits in Mexico, not Michigan. Trump furniture in Turkey, not Ohio. Trump picture frames in India, not Wisconsin.

Donald Trump says he wants to make America great again – well, he could start by actually making things in America again.

Clinton also talked about guns:

I’m not here to repeal the 2nd Amendment. I’m not here to take away your guns. I just don’t want you to be shot by someone who shouldn’t have a gun in the first place.

Ironically, it was the Democrats who seemed to be more patriotic this week, than the Republicans were last week at their convention.

I tweeted at the end of the Clinton speech that I heard a rumor that mixed in with the confetti and balloons tonight are 30,000 shredded Clinton emails…

Now the campaigning officially begins. The race will come down to just a few states. Clinton will get a bump in the polls from this week – but can she keep it?

You can read her whole speech HERE and the Associated Press provides a “Fact Check” of the speech HERE.

Cathy Kuntz & the Tribune:

I happened to catch the opinion piece in the Great Falls Tribune published on Thursday from Cathy Kuntz, who the Tribune said was “longtime Republican voter.”

Late Wednesday the opinion piece was posted on-line and I received an email from a friend who reminded me that I had written about Kuntz a couple times in the past.

Kuntz said in her opening:

I have a long history of supporting Republicans like Tim Fox, Ed Buttrey, Joe Briggs and others. But this year for governor the choice is pretty clear. I’m voting for Steve Bullock.

Someone posted some links in the comments section to show that Kuntz had donated to Democrats in the past. Back in 2012, I wrote that it looked like she had appeared in a campaign ad for Democrat Jon Tester.

I also pointed out back in 2012 that she was also listed as Chair of MEA-MFT Republican Caucus at one time. Maybe she does vote Republican, but donates her hard-earned money to Democrats?

Nonetheless, later in the day the Tribune posted an “Editor’s note” at the end of the opinion piece stating:

After the foregoing opinion piece was published, critics of the column noted Kuntz, a retired Great Falls schoolteacher, has donated repeatedly to Democratic candidates for statewide or federal positions. See Saturday’s upcoming The Edge for commentary.

I look forward to reading it.

There are a lot of weird things that happen during campaign season especially with opinion pieces and letters to the editor. The opinion piece from Kuntz is one of those weird things. I remember the Tribune in the past paying handwriting experts to look at similar handwritten letters to the editor submitted under different names to see if they were written by the same person. This may be more egg on the Tribune’s face.

I remember writing hundreds of letters to the editor for other people over more than a decade about candidates I supported and only being busted once – so yes weird things do happen during campaign season in Montana. That is why it’s so much fun.

Juneau/Zinke Public Lands:

I was going to write about U.S. House candidate Denise Juneau (D) and U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke (R) and their little tussle about public lands, but the Helena Independent Record (IR) beat me to it with this article.

One interesting part of the IR article that I will comment about is the quote from Zinke spokeswoman Heather Swift who said, “Denise Juneau is absolutely a liar and a hypocrite on selling public lands.”

Swift’s comments about Juneau took the U.S. House ‎race from zero to nasty in 13 words.

I once commented about the race being boring. Since Zinke’s people are using words like “liar” and “hypocrite” it may not be boring much longer.

It’s still July, folks. Calm down, grasshopper.

The public land issue is not a big blip on my radar, but let me say that both Zinke and Juneau support public lands. Hopefully, they will move along to more important issues like veterans health care, security of our nation, immigration, etc.

The End is Near?

It was with great sadness that I must let you know that the last known company that makes video cassette recorders (VCR) will cease making them. Fortune magazine reports:

The last maker of VHS-compatible video cassette recorders, Japanese manufacturer Funai Electric, says its [sic] going to stop producing the devices at the end of the month due to declining sales.

I remember my first VCR – it cost about $800 and it had a remote that was attached to it with a wire. I was one of the coolest people at Whiteman AFB with that “top of the line” VCR that had the wired remote. It also had a “slow motion” function that everyone thought was pretty cool.

I think I’ve owned about 10 VCRs since then. Several are broken and sitting in the corner of my junk room waiting to be thrown away or recycled.

One More Thing:

When one door closes, you should keep it closed because the AC is on. –someecards.com

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2 Comments

On July 29, 2016 at 7:35 am Barry said:

Two observations from the conventions. First, the RNC was filled with our flags all four days and the DNC had none on the first night, only on the big screen on Tuesday, some on stage on Wednesday and roving ones last night. According to the floor reports, the flags we used to block the cameras off the Bern folks when they started their chants. Second, About 90% of the speeches ended with God Bless You and God Bless the United States at the RNC. At the DNC, that number was around 15-20%. Even Michelle Obama just said God Bless in a quiet tone at the end.
Now the personal challenge to decide who to cast my vote for…I never pick the lessor of two evils but the for best person for the job. IMHO, neither of these two are better than the other, just diffferent…time will tell and it is still 2 months until the first debate…

On July 29, 2016 at 2:37 pm doug said:

I liked the part when the NCGOP went ballistic and accused Kaine of wearing a Honduran flag pin instead of a US flag pin. Turns out it was a Blue Star pin for his son, a Marine 2nd Lt., currently deployed in a NATO nation that TRump want to turn his back on if they don’t pay up their dues.

It took them about 24 hours to post an actual apology.

TRump thinks he can walk out on Treaties (see the Constitution about that) as easily as he reneges on business contracts. He thinks he can renegotiate international agreements with a “take it or leave it” attitude. He thinks he can magically make things happen (the wall, jobs) by fiat.

I’m no fan of Hillary’s but I am a fan of maturity and an understanding of how things actually work despite the many dysfunctions of the mechanics and processes.

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